The Narrated Puritan

Were it simply that they are called upon to rejoice, how uncouth is this to men in that posture and circumstance they are supposed fallen into! Well, but yet count it joy, says he : not only moderate, keep in, and smother your contrary passions, - which was the highest lesson that philosophy and the Stoics, the best of philosophers, had taught, - but the gospel calls upon us 'therefore,' &c., or for and upon these temptations, to rejoice. 'Count it joy;'

The first eminent gift and work of the Holy Ghost under the Old Testament, and which had the most direct and immediate respect unto Jesus Christ, was that of prophecy: for the chief and principal end hereof in the church was to foresignify him, his sufferings, and the glory that should ensue,

Charles Bridges - Exposition Psalm 119

C. H. Spurgeon - Spurgeon's Prayers Personal

We are not able of ourselves thus to discern the Scriptures without divine aid and assistance; for the psalmist, who was wiser than the wisest of us, and who had so earnest a desire after these things, yet would not trust unto his own reason, wisdom, ability, and diligence, for the understanding of them, but betakes himself unto God by prayer, acknowledging therein that it is the especial work of God by his Spirit to enable us to understand his mind and will as revealed in the Scripture.

We are warned here that election unto salvation does not disregard the use of appropriate means: salvation is reached through "sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."

C. H. Spurgeon - Spurgeon's Prayers Personal

The Story of this journey of recording audio-books that started back in December of 1985. The recordings were done for blind patrons of the Chapel Library, then in Venice, FL. How did this ministry evolve from that to where it is today.

October 2, 1864 Sealing, which is another name for assurance, for the witness of the Holy Spirit with our spirit—that we are born of God, is evidently distinct from faith—will you please to observe that—for the text says, "After that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." Believing, then, is not this sealing; and assurance, although it be akin to believing, is not believing. There is a distinction between the two things.

Melancholy 1813 - He often thinks that, his day of grace is past, and that now it is too late for him to believe, to repent, or to expect mercy. Were anyone to declare to him that redeeming grace is infinitely free, or that the riches of saving mercy in Christ are always overflowing, or that the offers and calls of the gospel are directed to him in particular, he would still affirm that now it is too late, because his day of grace is undoubtedly past. No arguments will convince him that concluding his day of grace is past, or that God will never show mercy nor give grace to him.

Growth in grace is one way to be happy in our Christianity. God has wisely linked together our comfort and our increase in holiness. He has graciously made it in our interest to press on and aim high in our Christianity. There is a vast difference between the amount of sensible enjoyment that one believer has in his Christianity compared to another. You can be sure that ordinarily the person who feels the most joy and peace in believing (Romans 15:13) and has the clearest witness of the Spirit in his heart is the person who grows.

He endeavored to impress upon the minds of the brethren, the importance of settling their difficulties, and of uniting their prayers and their efforts for the promotion of Christ's kingdom. But his exhortations seemed to have but little effect, and perceiving that they had no proper sense of their dependence on God, but were placing undue reliance on him, he thought it best to withdraw.

Charles Bridges - Exposition Psalm 119

If things do not begin at the heart, whatsoever we do about spiritual things, they are of no value, of no use. We may perform duties,—we may pray, and preach, and hear; but if these things do not spring from the heart (that is, from faith, and love, and delight working in the heart), all is lost. A sacrifice without a heart, a silly dove that has no heart, are things God abhors, Hos. 7:11.

From The Christian In Complete Armor. God would bring his saints to heaven in such a way as might be most expressive of his dear love and mercy to them. This way of communicating strength to saints gives a double accent to God's love and mercy. It distills a sweetness into all the believer has or does when he finds any comfort in his bosom, any enlargement of heart in duty, any support under temptations, to consider whence all these came, what friend sends them in. They came not from my own cistern or any creature's. O, it is my God who has been here, and left his sweet perfume of comfort behind him in my bosom!

The curiosity of the people was soon excited, and they flocked together to hear the stranger who had come so unexpectedly among them. At the close of one of his evening meetings, he informed them, that he had been requested to come and labor with them for a season, and he wished them to pray for a revival of religion, adding, "whether you do or not, it is possible there may be one, for christians in other places have agreed to pray for you." This produced great solemnity.

C. H. Spurgeon - Spurgeon's Prayers Personal

C. H. Spurgeon - Spurgeon's Prayers Personal

At the day of judgment, the saints in glory at Christ's right hand, will see the wicked at the left hand in their amazement and horror, will hear the judge pronounce sentence upon them, saying, " Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;" and will see them go away into everlasting punishment. But the Scripture seems to hold forth to us, that the saints will not only see the misery of the wicked at the day of judgment, but the forementioned texts imply, that the state of the damned in hell will be in the view of the heavenly inhabitants; that the two worlds of happiness and misery will be in view of each other.

Jehovah speaks, and it is done; who shall resist his word? When his Spirit attends that word, shall it fall to the ground? "My word," saith he, "shall not return unto me void"; and all the sinners on earth and all the devils in hell cannot alter that grand decree. Every now and then there seems to be a lull in the history of holy work, a silence as of God, as if he were wearying of men, and would speak no longer to them. But ere long, in some unexpected quarter, the voice of the Lord is heard once more; some earnest spirit breaks the awful silence of spiritual death, and again the adversary is defeated. Outbursts of the great spirit of life, and light, and truth come at the divine will, when men least look for them or desire them. When Jesus has been crucified, even then the Holy Ghost descends, and the victories of the cross begin. No, my brethren, the Spirit of the Lord is not silenced: the voice of the Lord is heard above the tumults of the people.